v3.25.4
Employee Benefit Plans
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Employee Benefit Plans  
Employee Benefit Plans

13. Employee Benefit Plans

The company maintains an unfunded Arrow SERP under which the company will pay supplemental pension benefits to certain employees upon retirement. As of December 31, 2025, there were 9 current and 27 former corporate officers participating in this plan. The Board determines those employees who are eligible to participate in the Arrow SERP.

The Arrow SERP, as amended, provides for the pension benefits to be based on a percentage of average final compensation, based on years of participation in the Arrow SERP. The Arrow SERP permits early retirement, with payments at a reduced rate, based on age and years of service subject to a minimum retirement age of 55.

The company uses a December 31 measurement date for the Arrow SERP benefit plan. Pension information for the years ended December 31 is as follows:

Arrow SERP

 

(thousands)

  ​ ​ ​

2025

  ​ ​ ​

2024

 

Accumulated benefit obligation

$

84,414

$

74,530

Changes in projected benefit obligation:

 

  ​

 

  ​

Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year

 

83,032

 

88,084

Service cost

 

2,748

 

3,193

Interest cost

 

4,399

 

4,081

Actuarial loss (gain)

 

3,584

 

(6,602)

Benefits paid

 

(6,206)

 

(5,724)

Projected benefit obligation at end of year

 

87,557

 

83,032

Funded status

$

(87,557)

$

(83,032)

Amounts recognized in the company's consolidated balance sheets:

 

  ​

 

  ​

Current liabilities

$

(7,083)

$

(6,168)

Noncurrent liabilities

 

(80,474)

 

(76,864)

Net liability at end of year

$

(87,557)

$

(83,032)

Components of net periodic pension cost:

 

  ​

 

  ​

Service cost

$

2,748

$

3,193

Interest cost

 

4,399

 

4,081

Amortization of prior service cost

337

337

Amortization of (gain) loss

 

(1,744)

 

(164)

Curtailment expense

2,020

Net periodic pension cost

$

7,760

$

7,447

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligation:

 

  ​

 

  ​

Discount rate

 

5.20

%  

 

5.50

%

Rate of compensation increase

 

5.00

%  

 

5.00

%

Expected return on plan assets

 

N/A

 

N/A

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic pension cost:

 

  ​

 

  ​

Discount rate

 

5.50

%  

 

4.80

%

Rate of compensation increase

 

5.00

%  

 

5.00

%

Expected return on plan assets

 

N/A

 

N/A

The amounts reported for net periodic pension cost and the respective benefit obligation amounts are dependent upon the actuarial assumptions used. The company reviews historical trends, future expectations, current market conditions, and external data to determine the assumptions. The discount rate represents the market rate for a high-quality corporate bond. The rate of compensation increase is determined by the company, based upon its long-term plans for such increases. The actuarial assumptions used to determine the net periodic pension cost are based upon the prior year’s assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation.

Benefit payments are expected to be paid as follows:

(thousands)

  ​ ​ ​

Arrow SERP

2026

$

7,083

2027

 

7,072

2028

 

7,088

2029

 

7,637

2030

 

7,466

2031 - 2035

 

34,054

As of December 31, 2025, the company had designated $119.3 million in assets to cover the ongoing costs of SERP payouts for both current and former executives. These assets were comprised primarily of life insurance policies and mutual fund investments, and $117.8 million of these investments were held in a rabbi trust. Contributions to the rabbi trust are irrevocable by the company. In the event of bankruptcy by the company, the assets held by the rabbi trust are subject to claims made by the company’s creditors.

Other Comprehensive Income Items

The following table presents the other comprehensive income items for the years ended December 31:

(thousands)

  ​ ​ ​

2025

2024

2023

Actuarial (loss) gains, net of tax

$

(2,723)

$

5,027

$

(1,011)

Reclassification of actuarial loss (gain), net of tax

 

(1,325)

(125)

(508)

Prior service costs, net of tax

Reclassification of prior service costs, net of tax

1,790

256

256

Accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2025 and 2024 includes unrecognized actuarial gains, net of related taxes, of $8.2 million and $12.2 million, respectively, that have not yet been recognized in net periodic pension cost. Accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2024 included prior service costs, net of related taxes, of $(1.8) million that had not yet been recognized in net periodic pension cost.

Defined Contribution Plans

The company has defined contribution plans for eligible employees, which qualify under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The company’s contribution to the plans, which are based on a specified percentage of employee contributions, amounted to $19.9 million, $20.1 million, and $21.2 million in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. Certain international subsidiaries maintain separate defined contribution plans for their employees and made contributions thereunder, which amounted to $23.4 million, $22.4 million, and $22.6 million in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.